1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a virtual keyboard system of embedded equipment such as a copying machine, facsimile apparatus, multi function peripheral equipment, and the like and, more particularly, to a virtual keyboard system and the like, which can register different virtual keyboards for respective input items and can input data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Embedded equipment, such as a copying machine, facsimile apparatus, multifunction peripheral equipment, and the like, have increasing gained advanced functions and high performance. As the number of application programs which run on the embedded equipment increases, the use application of the embedded equipment becomes diversified, and easy-to-operate environments that meet the needs of individual users are demanded.
Conventionally, in embedded equipment having no hardware keyboard, a virtual keyboard (also often called a software keyboard) that imitates the hardware keyboard is implemented. In a situation that requires data input, a virtual keyboard is displayed on a display device of the equipment, and the user can input data via that virtual keyboard.
In the data input using the virtual keyboard, when the user inputs, e.g., a name, he or she must switch an input mode of the virtual keyboard to a text input mode. Alternatively, when the user inputs an amount of money, he or she must switch the input mode to a numeric input mode. However, such operations are troublesome for the user.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-325887 discloses, as a solution to the above problem, a technique in which the equipment automatically switches the input mode in accordance with the attribute of an input item and then allows the user to input data. According to this prior art, since the virtual keyboard prepared in advance is used, operations for input items with the same attribute and operations among application programs on the equipment are unified. However, the virtual keyboard cannot be switched for respective input items or application programs, or cannot be switched in correspondence with the user.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-186614 discloses a technique in which the equipment automatically switches display of a virtual keyboard to a different one in accordance with the attribute of an input item, and then allows the user to input data. However, with this prior art, one virtual keyboard can only be associated with an input item. Therefore, for example, it is impossible simultaneously to display a virtual keyboard exclusively provided to the input item and a numeric input virtual keyboard (numeric keypad) and to input data from both the virtual keyboards.
As described above, in the prior art, easy-to-operate environments that meet the needs of the users cannot be provided.